Conversions practice guide (PDF - Lake District National Park

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Practice guidance: The conversion of buildings in the open countryside What is practice guidance? This guidance sets out our practice approach to proposals for the conversion of buildings in the open countryside. It is one of a series of guidance notes that respond to customer feedback. It is not planning policy, which can be found elsewhere on our website. This practice guidance sets out: • our policies • national policies • our approach to making decisions What is the policy context? The Vision for the Lake District National Park is that it will be an inspirational example of sustainable development in action. Our planning policies were adopted as part of our Local Development Framework (LDF) Core Strategy in October 2010. Government published the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in March 2012. What do our LDF policies say? Achieving vibrant and sustainable settlements LDF Policy CS02: achieving vibrant and sustainable settlements, states that development should be of a scale and nature appropriate to the character and function of the location in which it is proposed, meeting needs or bringing benefits to the local community or delivering sustainable tourism. Policy CS02 identifies rural service centres, villages, cluster communities and open countryside. Policy supports conversions in rural service centres, villages and clusters, in principle. Policy CS02 states exceptionally, we will only support development in the open countryside where it demonstrates an appropriate reuse, redevelopment or extension of an existing building. The policy and the explanatory text do not advise on what amounts to the appropriate reuse or redevelopment of an existing building. Site specific considerations and Policy CS11 have been used to inform our approach. Sustainable development principles Policy CS11: sustainable development principles, states that we want all development to be designed and carried out in a way that avoids adverse effects on the special qualities of the National Park and applies the principles of sustainable development. This policy sets out nine requirements including reducing people’s need to travel, by demonstrating that the development is accessible by cycling, walking or public transport. These are aims for sustainable development and as they apply to all types of development a flexible approach is required. What does the National Planning Policy Framework say? Since the Government published the NPPF in March 2012 it constitutes a material consideration in determining applications.
NPPF: Sustainable development and the need to travel At the heart of the NPPF is a presumption in favour of sustainable development, recognising the economic, social and environmental role of the planning system. Paragraphs 18 to 219, taken as whole, constitute the Government’s view of what sustainable development means in practice for the planning system. In promoting sustainable transport Government recognises that different policies and measures will be required in different communities and opportunities to maximise sustainable transport solutions will vary from urban to rural areas (paragraph 29). In preparing Local Plans, local planning authorities should support a pattern of development which, where reasonable to do so, facilitates the use of sustainable modes of transport (paragraph 30). The NPPF requires us to ensure that developments which generate significant movement are located where the need to travel will be minimised and the use of sustainable transport modes can be maximised. It goes on to say this needs to take account of policies set out elsewhere in the NPPF, particularly in rural areas (paragraph 34). NPPF: Housing in rural areas – conversions in the countryside The NPPF states that to promote sustainable development in rural areas, housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities. The NPPF also confirms that Local Planning Authorities should avoid new isolated homes in the countryside unless there are special circumstances. One of these special circumstances is where the development ‘would re-use redundant or disused buildings and lead to an enhancement to the immediate setting’. Another circumstance is where ‘such development would represent the optimal viable use of a heritage asset or would be appropriate enabling development to secure the future of heritage assets’ (paragraph 55). Home on the Farm Since October 2010 Home on the Farm is Government policy. This encourages the conversion of buildings in the countryside to affordable homes for local people. What is our approach to making decisions? The NPPF (paragraph 55) supports the re-use of redundant or disused buildings in the countryside as homes where this would lead to an enhancement to the immediate setting. This policy is part of the Government’s view on what sustainable development means and is consistent with those paragraphs of the NPPF that cover sustainable transport in rural areas. We use the NPPF alongside our policies and other material planning considerations to decide on the appropriateness of a proposed conversion. To enable a consistent approach to the implementation of Policy CS02 of the LDF Core Strategy in respect of the conversion of buildings in the open countryside we recognise the terms in which the NPPF supports the re-use of redundant or disused buildings in the countryside as homes and take the following approach:
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Conversions practice guide (PDF - Lake District National Park

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